BCS Championship 2011: Breaking Down Auburn vs. Oregon by Position
It is finally here, the 2011 BCS National Championship.
With the NFL Wildcard Weekend in the rear view and the NCAA's top recruit and coaching candidate all settled where they belong, the focus shifts only to Glendale, Arizona for the biggest game of the year.
Auburn and Oregon have been the two best teams in college football all season long and now it is time to find out which one is the best.
The fearsome Oregon rushing attack and feisty, turnover-driven defense will lineup opposite a battle-tested Auburn team with the most dominant player in college football, Cam Newton.
Both these teams are very deserving of being here but only one can be crowned National Champion.
Here is a look at how each team stacks up against one another from each position.
Auburn Quarterback: Cam Newton
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Cam Newton is the Heisman Trophy winner for a reason; he is virtually unstoppable on the football field.
1,402 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns along with 2,589 yards passing and 28 touchdowns is what makes the Tiger offense go.
Cam can make all the necessary plays needed with his arm and his legs are as good as any running backs.
The Tigers are unbeaten this season because of the leadership and play making of Newton, and we should expect nothing less.
Oregon Quarterback: Darron Thomas
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The Ducks' sophomore quarterback has been sensational this season.
Thomas has thrown for 2,518 yards, 28 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while rushing for 492 yards and five touchdowns.
His speed and elusiveness make him tough to sack and he does a great job running the Ducks' high-speed offense.
Auburn Running Backs: Michael Dyer and Company
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While Newton makes the Tiger offense go, there is other talent in the Tiger backfield as well.
Freshman running back Michael Dyer gets the majority of the carries and has been terrific in his opportunities.
Dyer averages 5.9 yards per carry and has found the end zone five times.
His running mate, sophomore Onterio McCalebb, is the Tigers big play threat and is averaging 8.6 yards per carry and has scored nine touchdowns this season.
Senior tailback Mario Fannin may also get a few touches and can also make plays out of the backfield. He has seven total touchdowns on the season.
Cam Newton is where it starts for the Tigers, but they have solid help in the backfield.
Oregon Running Backs: LaMichael James and Friends
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LaMichael James, the nation's fourth leading rusher, was as good as any running back this season.
Averaging six yards per carry and scoring 21 touchdowns, he led the the nation's third best rushing attack.
James is elusive and can score at any time, as can his friends.
Sophomore Kenjon Barner is the Ducks' second leading rusher. He averages 6.5 yards per carry and has scored six touchdowns on the season.
Auburn Receivers: Adams, Zachery, and Blake
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When Newton is not handing off or running himself, his top target is junior Darvin Adams.
Adams has caught 48 passes on the season, seven for touchdowns.
He has averaged close to 19 yards per reception this season and is Newton's favorite target.
Terrell Zachery and Emory Blake have each scored touchdowns of 80 plus yards this season and together they have combined for 66 catches, 1,057 yards, and 11 touchdowns.
Sophomore tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen only caught 13 passes this season, five of them for touchdowns.
The Tigers receivers are not dominant, but they know how to find the endzone and make the most of the opportunities they are given.
Oregon Receivers: Jeff Maehl and Others
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The Ducks high-octane offense does not feature just running backs, but playmaking wide receivers as well.
Senior Jeff Maehl, the Ducks' top target, has been great this season.
Averaging 13.9 yards per catch with 943 yards and 12 touchdowns, Maehl has caught almost double the amount receptions as any other receiver on Oregon's roster.
Oregon's other receivers, D.J. Davis and Lavasier Tuinei, have combined for 69 receptions, 731 yards, and five touchdowns.
Sophomore tight end David Paulson has been a big play threat for the Ducks, averaging 17.4 per catch, and has scored four touchdowns.
Maehl is consistently solid and the rest of the Ducks can strike at any time.
Auburn Offensive Line: Led By Seniors
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The Auburn offensive line is as good as there is in the country.
Four seniors; Ryan Pugh, Lee Ziemba, Mike Berry, and Byron Isom, lead the Auburn offensive attack.
The four have combined for 161 starts in their careers at Auburn while Ziemba has started 51 straight games and Pugh 41.
Cam Newton may have been the best player on the field this season, but he certainly had a lot of help from his offensive line.
Oregon Offensive Line: Speed, Not Size
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It takes a special breed of offensive lineman to handle the Oregon style of offense.
While size is not their strong point, the Ducks' lead blockers know what it takes to win football games and how to clear a path for their running back.
Right tackle Mark Asper is the Ducks' biggest lineman at 6'7, 322 pounds, the other four go under 300 pounds with two even under 290 pounds.
The Ducks are confident in the way their line can block and they see no reason to shy away from the Auburn defensive line.
Auburn Defensive Line:
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Nick Fairley is the nation's most disruptive defensive tackle and he and his teammates will do all they can to get after Darron Thomas, LaMichael James and company.
Fairley can change a game in a single play.
His running mates, Antoine Carter, Zach Clayton, and Nose Eguae, will have to play with discipline if they want to defeat the Oregon running game.
The Ducks will not be able to handle Fairley one-on-one and their strategy against him could dictate the whole game if he plays the way he can.
The Auburn defense only gives up 111 yards per game on the ground.
Oregon Defensive Line: Light On Their Feet
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While Auburn' front five feature some of the biggest in the country, the Oregon defensive line is the exact opposite, averaging 258 pounds.
The Oregon front row, headlined by Kenny Rowe and Brandon Bair, make up for their lack of size with added pressure and speed.
The Ducks average 2.5 sacks per game and 7.5 tackles for loss.
The front line has helped hold opposing rushing attacks to 117 yards per game.
Auburn Linebackers: The Josh Bynes Show
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If Auburn wants to have a shot at containing LaMichael James, they will have to hope Josh Bynes, their senior middle linebacker, is up to the task.
Bynes is a do it all linebacker that will have to be quick in his reads if he wishes to handle the zone schemes of Oregon, who does a good job of getting lineman into the second level and sealing off the linebackers.
Eltoro Freeman, Craig Stevens, and Daren Bates will have to make plays and be effective in the flow of this football game.
Oregon Linebackers: Matthews and Paysinger
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Oregon's leading tackler, Casey Matthews, will be key to handling the movements of Cam Newton.
Both he, and fellow linebacker Spencer Paysinger, will have to efficiently navigate their way through bodies and keep blockers away from them if they want to successfully have a shot at bringing down the Auburn rushing attack.
Keeping Newton near the line of scrimmage will be important and if Matthews and Paysinger do not get the job done, it could be a long night for the Ducks.
Auburn Secondary: The Big Weakness
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Zac Etheridge, Neiko Thorpe, Demond Washington, and Mike McNeil are the weakness of the Auburn Tigers.
While Thorpe is not a bad player, he gets beaten too easily but will need to be effective when thrown at if the Tiger want to win.
Opposing teams average 250 yards per game passing and have scored 23 touchdowns in the air against the Auburn secondary.
Etheridge though, will most likely be keying through Thomas to the running backs, and will have to be successful at doing so.
Oregon Secondary: Cliff Harris and Company
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The Ducks excel at forcing turnovers and have recorded 20 interceptions and recovered 15 fumbles.
Cliff Harris and John Boyett each have five interceptions on the year and Harris is one of the better cover corners in the country.
The Ducks cannot afford to play man across the board because of Newton, so Harris and Talmadge Jackson III will play man with the safeties, Boyett and Eddie Pleasant, joining forces with the linebacking corps to stop anything underneath.
The Tigers do not turnover the ball much, Oregon will have to find a way to make that change.
The Edge
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Both coaches, Chip Kelly and Gene Chizik, bring their own bit of experience to the table and will play a role in this, but mostly in preparation, the National Championship has to be won by players that have not played a competitive game in over a month.
Auburn has the edge at quarterback and on both the offensive and defensive lines.
Oregon has the edge at running back, receiver, linebacker, and in the secondary.
The most important position on the field though, is owned by Cam Newton and the Tigers.
The Ducks may be the better team, but the Tigers have the best player and he has yet fold this season.
The edge goes to Auburn.
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